You are here

The Power of Group Sadhana

Doing Sadhana in a group develops group consciousness. At the beginning of sadhana everyone has a different vibration. Some have traces of dreams; others are already filled with concerns for the day; and still others come with different expectations about sadhana. The more people there are, the more these individual differences balance out and create a harmony. The happiness of one person balances the sadness of another. Then the entire group finds its energy directed by the activity of the sadhana itself. The individual auras merge and form a group aura. If the group is well-tuned into the Infinite, a rainbow aura forms that reflects all colors. A bluish color of sincerity and devotion predominates. This auric transformation aids the practitioner in making the step beyond ego centeredness.

By the end of morning sadhana, when everyone's energy has intermingled and merged, it is easy to communicate and be on the same wavelength. We experi­ence this effect throughout the day. There will be fewer misunderstandings in the area of communications.

[From Aquarian Teacher KRI Teacher Training Level 1 Textbook]

Yogi Bhajan on Group Sadhana

All for One, and One for All

Your body is the temple of God, and your soul is the Divine Guru within. So, you get up in the morning, meditate, chant the mantras, do the exercises, call on your spirit, regulate the breath, and you get together in group consciousness. In that way you help each other. Group consciousness in morning sadhana is to help each other. If I am trying to sleep, another is not sleeping. If, in this whole group, one person opens up to God just once, we will all be blessed in his openness. That is what matters. If one has walked into sadhana with heart and soul in a prayerful mind, we will all benefit. That is the power of the group sadhana.

But, we still have something of the past in us. We bring up worries about who should lead. “Oh, that leader has brought a very good sadhana! That one has freaked out the sadhana.” The truth is that nobody freaked out the sadhana, and nobody made it beautiful. It is the will of God which prevails through the soul. When you are a servant, and act as a channel, it prevails through you.

If, in morning sadhana, one cannot curtail the barriers and get to Oneness, I don’t think there is any other time it can happen. All for one, and one for all. That is the principle.

Individual Sadhana

If you must do sadhana by yourself, then while you are chanting, imagine a million others all around you. Hear them all chanting, with you in the middle, not moving at all. Feel that you do not chant physically, and yet are leading the chant and letting the chant lead you. As you imagine this, continue chanting.